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en-usEngadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronicsCopyright 2017 AOL Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.https://www.engadget.com/2017/07/14/gudak-turns-your-1-000-iphone-into-a-20-disposable-camera/https://www.engadget.com/2017/07/14/gudak-turns-your-1-000-iphone-into-a-20-disposable-camera/https://www.engadget.com/2017/07/14/gudak-turns-your-1-000-iphone-into-a-20-disposable-camera/#comments

With their simple controls and lack of preview, disposable cameras are fun to use and let you relive the party once the film is developed. Gudak wants to give you that feeling with its iPhone app -- it has a number of features that are pretty bizarre at first glance, but make sense if you get into the spirit of things.

Nintendo had a bonafide smash on its hands with the NES Classic. And it looks like the SNES mini console will fly off of store shelves just as quickly. But it's not the only company looking to cash in on your nostalgia. Nowadays, there are reboots of TV shows like Twin Peaks and MST3K. Oh, and how about Netflix's Stranger Things, a series that's basically a love letter to the 80s? These are all examples of nostalgia products done right. But not everything we've seen in recent years has been as great as you would have hoped. Because, seriously, do you really want one of the Furbys pictured above watching you sleep? And who would be caught dead toting around a Tamagotchi in 2017?

You know what, maybe that is you, and who are we to judge? But if you ask us, these 10 things probably took our retro obsession a little too far.

You might not hear much about Kodak these days, but the brand still exists -- it even released a new smartphone with a humongous camera in Europe last year. Now, that same phone named after its Ektra camera from the '40s has made its way to the US. As a phone, the new Ektra doesn't really have impressive features with its 5-inch 1080p display, 32GB internal storage, deca-core MediaTek Helio X20 processor and 3GB of RAM. It also ships with Android Marshmallow instead of Nougat. Ektra's main draw is none other than its 21MP camera (with six-axis image stabilization, no less) that takes up a huge chunk of its leatherette-wrapped back.

Kodak Ektachrome color-positive film, beloved by portrait photographers and indie filmmakers alike, is rising from the dead. Kodak Alaris will start selling the classic 135-36x 35mm and Super 8 movie films in the fourth quarter of this year, the company said in a statement. The stock (also called reversal or slide film) was discontinued in 2012 and is known for its extremely fine grain and saturated colors. It's also cherished by indie filmmakers for its ability to be "pushed," producing an artistically grainy effect (see the trailer for Buffalo 66, embedded below).

Kodak is a brand with history, but little relevance in the modern photographic world. The company battled through bankruptcy in 2013, refusing to give up as its film business was superseded by digital. Now, it's experimenting with smartphones. Following the IM5, a largely forgettable device aimed at shutterbugs, Kodak is trying again with the Ektra. Named after its 1941 rangefinder (and the '70s 110 film camera range) the handset certainly looks like a camera. The back is wrapped in a dark, artificial "leatherette," with a slightly curved grip on one side and a dedicated shutter button on top. A large, protruding lens pokes out the back, a 21-megapixel Sony sensor (IMX230) buried underneath.

The Kodak Pixpro SP360 4K action camera had a branding problem. Yes, you could shoot 360-degree videos, but they weren't spherical -- you needed two cameras to do that, which made it less-than-practical for full virtual reality videos. You won't have to do some extra shopping with the 4KVR360, though. The newly launched cam fuses a 20-megapixel sensor with lenses on both the front and back, letting one camera shoot fully immersive VR video all by its lonesome.

Crowdfunded filmmakers will be able to shoot on film for a lot less money thanks to a partnership between Kodak and Kickstarter. Kodak says it will provide free 35mm or Super 16mm film stock for select projects, up to a total of around $20,000 for 35mm film, depending on the total budget. Beyond that, the company will provide discounted film and mentoring for packaging, financing and sales strategies. The choice of filmmakers appears to be at Kodak's discretion, but so far the company has picked several Kickstarter productions that will launch this spring.

But there's something different about the buzz around Kodak's yellow-colored cubicle. The bright red "K" on the logo that looms overhead instantly evokes a sense of nostalgia that feels misplaced at a show cluttered with snippets of the future. I walk in, past the glass shelves with film rolls on display, to join a group of people huddled around the prototype of Super 8, the company's "new" film camera that made its debut 50 years ago.

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analogcameraanalogfilmcamerasces2016cultureentertainmentfilmkodakkodaksuper8super8Sat, 09 Jan 2016 09:30:00 -050021|21294393https://www.engadget.com/2016/01/07/kodak-super-8-camera-prototype-hands-on/https://www.engadget.com/2016/01/07/kodak-super-8-camera-prototype-hands-on/https://www.engadget.com/2016/01/07/kodak-super-8-camera-prototype-hands-on/#comments
One of the nicer surprises at this year's CES was Kodak's Super 8 camera announcement. Perhaps more surprising is the fact that the company isn't leaving the film development up to aspiring film makers. In the $50-$75 development cost, you can expect to get a film reel and a digital copy. Pretty neat. Being the curious folks that we are here at Engadget, I stopped by Kodak's booth for a closer look at the Super 8 prototypes.
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cameracamerasces2016cultureentertainmentfilmgearhands-onkodakretrosuper8timeline16cesdayfourThu, 07 Jan 2016 18:25:00 -050021|21293601https://www.engadget.com/2016/01/06/3dr-made-for-solo-kodak-360-video-prototype/https://www.engadget.com/2016/01/06/3dr-made-for-solo-kodak-360-video-prototype/https://www.engadget.com/2016/01/06/3dr-made-for-solo-kodak-360-video-prototype/#comments

When 3DR announced its Made for Solo program last October, we knew it was working with Kodak to bring 360-degree video to its Solo drone. Today at CES, 3DR is showing off a prototype model of that integration, which adds a hyper-wide-angle lens to both the top and bottom of the drone, along with some early footage captured with the kit.

Spherical videos have been on Facebook and YouTube for a while now, but they're little more than a novelty. The medium should take on new meaning this year, however, once high-end VR headsets are on the market, which is why Kodak is introducing a 4K action camera today. A successor to the SP360, it's a petite cube with a 12.4-megapixel sensor and a dome-ish lens boasting a 235-degree field of view. It's designed for VR filmmakers and records in two modes -- "global," which captures an almost spherical image 360-degrees horizontally and 235-degrees vertically, or "front," which offers a more traditional wide-angle panorama in 16:9.

Kodak hasn't made a Super 8 camera since 1982, however the company announced on Tuesday at CES 2016 that it will debut a prototype video camera designed by Yves Behar that utilizes the venerable analog medium. Citing the preference towards physical media of many Hollywood directors -- including the likes of Steven Spielberg, JJ Abrams and Quentin Tarantino -- Kodak says that it will launch multiple Super 8 cameras, film development services and post production tools as part of its Super 8 Revival plan.

His last movie took audiences to the other side of a black hole, but director Christopher Nolan's next project is an altogether different trip back in time. Dunkirk tells the story of one of World War II's early battles, where Allied forces were trapped on a French beach. Remember, this was back in 1940 and they were surrounded by German soldiers -- it wasn't a vacation. As he's part of the lobby that pushed film studios to essentially keep celluloid company Kodak afloat, the movie's naturally being shot on large format 65mm film stock in addition to his favored IMAX 65mm.

Google's Nest Cam, previously known as Dropcam, is without a doubt one of the most preferred home monitoring camera brands. But Kodak doesn't want to be left behind, and today it introduced an upgraded video surveillance camera as part of its CFH-V series. The new model, called the CFH-V20, features a 180-degree field of view, night vision and WiFi capabilities (including a built-in signal extender. It also comes with IFTTT integration, letting you pair the device with third-party automation apps and services, as well as lifetime one-day cloud storage that lets you watch any HD recording from the past 24 hours. Kodak's V20 is available now for $150, which is about $50 cheaper than the Nest Cam.

Good news, die-hard aficionados of movies on film: those reels will stick around for a while yet. Kodak has put the finishing touches on a deal with the six big Hollywood studios (Disney, Fox, NBC, Paramount, Sony and Warner Bros.) that will maintain a steady supply of film for movie and TV directors that want to keep using the classic format. The exact terms aren't public, but it wouldn't be surprising if Kodak had the studios over a barrel. When high-profile directors like Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino virtually insist on film, it's hard to say "no" -- you may as well be telling them to take a hike if you make them go digital. This pact won't stop the gradual death of film in theaters, of course, but creative types can take comfort in knowing that celluloid's hard-to-replicate qualities aren't going away any time soon.

Kodak and Polaroid are both still fighting for relevance in a world that's mostly left them behind, and this year they've got a new kind of weapon in their arsenals: the smartphone. Both of these companies have basically lent the power of their brands -- the history, the force of nostalgia -- to third-party players who make devices on their behalf. It's a little too early to make a call on which company's definitively doing it better, but we took a look to see how they stack up at this point.

For a while there it looked like Kodak's moment had come and gone, but the past few months have seen the imaging icon fight back from the brink of irrelevance. Now the company's planning to push a Kodak-branded smartphone, and thankfully it's not going to sue everyone in the business along the way this time. To be clear, Kodak won't actually make its own devices -- instead, it's going to farm out most of the development work to an English company called Bullitt (you know, the people behind those uber-rugged Caterpillar phones). Oh, and it won't look anything like the mockup you see above... we hope.

Kodak has already thrown its hat into the action cam fray, but its new gadget offers a much wider view of the goings-on. The company's PIXPRO SP360 effort captures footage with 360-degree views in full HD (1080p), which it says is capable of creating "fully immersive images" without having to employ a fleet of cameras. With a dome-shaped fixed lens up top, the diminutive device records the aforementioned video at 30 fps with a 16-megapixel MO sensor, while offering Front (212 degrees), Split (180-degree front and rear views at the same time), Dome (214 degrees) and Sphere (360 degrees) modes for alternative vantage points.

Saving celluloid film is a big deal for many reasons, and the movement recently got another major voice in its corner. Legendary director Martin Scorsese (Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Casino) has come out in support of the Hollywood coalition to save Kodak. In a statement spotted by First Showing, Scorsese notes the advantages of shooting digitally (like lighter and cheaper cameras), but fervently details why film needs to continue to exist, likening the medium to paintings.

"Would anyone dream of telling young artists to throw away their paints and canvases because iPads are so much easier to carry? Of course not."

The movie industry has seen its share of struggles as we transition into a digital future, and likely no one has felt the pinch more than film company Kodak. The struggling outfit is getting a life-raft, though, in the form of several studios committing to buy a set amount of celluloid per year regardless of if any of their movies are even made using film. AsThe Wall Street Journal tells it, directors J.J. Abrams, Judd Apatow, Christopher Nolan and Quentin Tarantino -- all who've professed their love for celluloid quite publicly -- were part of the lobbying council for the business deal. Why? Because they adore the look and feel of working with the physical format. Nolan's Interstellar and Abrams' upcoming Star Wars are both being shot on film, but for better or worse, though, these filmmakers are a dying breed.

Welcome to Time Machines, where we offer up a selection of mechanical oddities, milestone gadgets and unique inventions to test out your tech-history skills.

Today the world can easily be captured in 1s and 0s for our viewing pleasure. The hardware behind this capability all started as a DIY lab project in 1974 to test out some new gear, and the result was a Frankenstein-like device that would eventually lead to world-changing advances in photographic technology. Head on past the break for the full story.

After a year and a half of trials and tribulations, Kodak is finally in the clear -- it just exited Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Now that the company has finished offloading its document and personal imaging groups, it's free to pursue a recently court-approved reorganization plan that focuses solely on business products like movie film and packaging. The resulting firm is a far cry from the camera giant that we once knew, but we may hear about its work in the future. Kodak promises more details of "what's next," and it tells the AP that it's working on technology like printable touchscreen layers and smart packaging.

Now with a patent sale, new financing and assetoffloads under its belt, Kodak's homing in on when it might emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. In January, the imaging giant predicted it might finally exit its financial default by mid-2013, and now it's filed paperwork with a New York court indicating it's on track to meet that goal sometime during its third quarter this year. In addition to the timeline update, the Plan of Reorganization and Disclosure Statement outlines how the firm's debts have been settled and its future plans, which place heavy emphasis on its commercial imaging business. A hearing for the document and associated strategy is anticipated to be scheduled in mid-June, and creditors will arrange a vote afterwards to decide if everything's to their liking. Kodak's certainly not out of the woods just yet, but it's plodding steadily towards the clearing.

Last year, a group of 12 licensees bid on 1,100 digital photography patents that were being sold by Kodak as part of bankruptcy proceedings. Although the venerable photography company was hopeful that the sale would be enough to help it restructure, the portfolio sold for only US$525 million to the licensees. Those patents are now being transferred from Kodak to licensees including Apple, with the Cupertino company taking ownership of four patents in the last week.

The patents being transferred include US Patent Nos. 8,432,479, which deals with range measurement using a zoom camera; 8,432,472, titled "Camera for displaying digital images"; 8,432,456 for a "Digital camera for sharing digital images"; and 8,432,461 for a "Wireless camera with automatic wake-up and transfer capability and transfer status display." In each case, Apple is listed as the assignee of the patent in question.

Other companies that will receive patents as part of the sale include Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Samsung, Adobe, Amazon, LG and HTC. Each company receives rights to Kodak's digital imaging patents and other intellectual property, although Kodak also retains rights to use those patents in any future business or subsidiary.

Kodak may be edging closer to emerging from bankruptcy; on Monday, the company announced that it will be spinning off the document and personal imaging units to its British pension plan for $650 million.

Kodak may have offered to sell key parts of its document imaging unit to Brother for $210 million, but even that amount is just a small step on the company's long road out of bankruptcy. The company has been looking for a sweeter deal -- and it just found one by settling with its very own UK Kodak Pension Plan. The agreement offloads control of both the document and personal imaging units (read: scanners and film) in return for eliminating a hefty $2.8 billion in claims and receiving $650 million in 'considerations' that include cash. Kodak has already received approval from the UK's Pension Regulator and expects to submit its plans to a US bankruptcy court on Tuesday. We've also confirmed with Kodak that this will supercede the Brother deal as long as it's approved, so there shouldn't be any legal entanglements from changing suitors. As such, Kodak is well on its way to a healthier (if much smaller) company.